Yo! Son Goku and friends! The Cell Saga (Finale)
Yamcha
The wind caressed Yamcha's long locks in a loving embrace as he sat on the clearly hazardous steps of The Lookout's outside ladder, facing the sunset and the stained clouds as they passed right in front, behind, into, and through his body, pressing up against his thin orange turtle hermit gi. There wasn't really a proper way to sit on the divots in the ladder, The Wolf was really only hanging on to the spot thanks to his flight.
"Young Yamcha." The distinct elderly voice called out above him.
The Wolf spared a glance at the eldery green Guardian eclipsing the low sun.
"Hey, Kami."
"What are you doing all the way up here?"
"..."
"..."
"... I used to really like coming to this spot back when we were training for the Saiyans. Something about staring at the clouds and losing time just felt right."
"Losing time?"
"..."
"You don't want to talk about your problems?"
"What's there to talk about? People don't want to see a guy when he's in a bad mood, bums everyone else out. But everyone runs and jumps to cheer a woman up when she's down. I'd rather just not let anyone see it. Thought I might get lucky and you would just leave me alone but it looks like I made the wrong move again."
"Why does facing your problems alone matter so much to you?"
"Because they're mine. Not anyone else's. It's not their problem to solve, seems unfair to them… at least that's what I think."
"That wasn't so hard now was it?"
"What do you mean?"
"You talked about your problems just now."
"It's only cause you asked. Doubt you even care anyway."
"I care quite a lot if I do say so myself. It's my duty to guard this planet. That includes you."
"Nah."
"Hmm-Hmm." Kami laughed under his breath. "I am glad I got to talk to you, Young Yamcha."
"..?"
"We hardly spoke two whole sentences your entire time training for the Saiyans. I am happy that we finally get to share this time together. Feels good."
"Heh." He scoffed, shaking his long black hair in the winds.
"You were saying?"
"..? I don't know."
"..."
"I know I don't deserve the right to complain."
"You are how you Earthlings say..? Full of shit?"
Yamcha scoffed again, a smile drawn by the sheer goofy elder energy The Guardian of Earth provided.
"It's just that… I'm living the life. I have a hot babe, a beautiful boy, I live in a billionaire mansion. I'm not even being facetious when I say I shouldn't be complaining, I really fucking shouldn't. There are children out in the world starving everyday and they wear a smile on their face so that their loved ones don't have to feel the pain."
"Those less fortunate are indeed in a great deal of pain as we speak but their demons are external, poverty, geography, society, crime, things outside of themselves. But you, Yamcha, you cannot outrun your demons. They live inside you, and that is a much more perilous fate. One that seeks to drag you to an early grave due to none other than your own actions. Do you want that?"
"Obviously no but-"
"But what?"
"I just don't know why I care so much about the outcome. These fights shouldn't matter that much to me. I go into every single match thinking I'm a failure if I don't win. It's so stupid. I have better problems to be worrying about, like if my boy's gonna go to school, what he's gonna do when he gets older, how I'm gonna get rid of my bad habits so that he doesn't learn them."
"..."
"I really don't want Trunks to see me like this. That's half the reason I'm up here and not back at that stupid tournament. I don't want him to know that his father's a nervous fucking wreck. That's so whack." He broke down, no tears in sight but he facepalmed hard, head in his hands as they grinded harshly along his soft cheeks and rough scars.
"Why do you think you feel this way, Yamcha?"
"You do realise all I've ever done in my entire career is lose, right?"
"..?"
"My literal only win is against that weird invisible guy at Baba's. I've lost every other major fight I've ever had except for some small time goons here and there. I can't even count my losses on my hand there's so many."
"If you think so lowly of yourself then there is no recourse but to lose, correct? Even you yourself discount your many wins as just 'goons' and 'small time' as if that is not proof of your excellency in martial arts that you can refer to them as such."
"..."
"You are not even giving yourself the chance to win. You are giving up at the starting line."
"..."
"All these losses have piled up and made you think that that is just who you are. But it does not have to be this way. It takes a leap of faith, and assurance of one's self to say that you Can do it."
"..."
"But if you want to continue losing the rest of your life. I will not dissuade you from your path."
"..."
Kami stopped talking to him, The Wolf could hear the steady taps of his shoes and clicks of his staff on the tile.
Tien VS Cell
Objective: Win The 26th Tenkaichi Budokai!
GONGG!
Tien breathed in deep and finally took off his blue tunic and white cape, revealing his absolutely jacked stature and long scar over his chest.
"Words don't do it justice! This feeling in the air~" Cell remarked loudly as he curled his fist harshly, flexing his big muscles. "I'm going to enjoy humiliating you."
As if on cue, the pair dashed right at each other for a frontal assault, popping and breaking the sound barrier to clash with wild strikes in the middle of the ring.
PaPaPaPaPOKK!
Cell and Tien stared down at range 0 after the exchange, nothing breaking through as Tien jived his arms in the crane jab position. Cell held a low stance as well, mirroring his opponent's low to the ground centre of gravity.
DUNN-DUNN!
Shockwaves bellowed as they clashed again.
DUNN-DUNN!
And again.
"Once again, right from the jump! Tien was never one to let a match go on longer than necessary! Perhaps this is why he's a champion!"
Cell slid in low from across the ring as Tien frontflip stalled, rearing his left hand back for The Dodon.
"Dodon Ray!"
ZYU!
Cell parried it like nothing, spinning like Goku did in their match as the thin yellow line wrapped around his frame and bent like a straw.
"Perfect." Tien thought. "It looks like he only needs to see a technique once to copy it."
"Tien's attack just refused to make contact with Cell! Are his attacks rendered useless by this development!?"
Cell backflipped of his own accord, but he moved forward as he did it, looking to make contact with Tien using his feet. Tien used his flight to finish the rest of his flip and he landed on the tile as Cell whiffed clean, winding all the way back to neutral as Tien came echoing through the air with an elbow strike.
WHAPP!
Cell caught the attempt with his left palm, ready to deliver a punishing right hand to the abdomen only to hit nothing as Tien rounded the outside with a pirouette, pivoting off his lead foot and slamming in a right roundhouse at The Free Man's back.
WHAMM!
"He had that angle covered!"
Cell went with the momentum of the strike, flipping over and stalling on the air the same as Tien did, firing back a purple line of energy at his third eye. Tien ducked under it with a low teardrop dip and proceeded to punish the maneuver with a double palm strike right at the chest.
ZYUUU! Fwwt~ WHAMM!
Cell flew high into the air and Tien attempted to smack him right back into the Earth with a banger of a karate chop aimed at the man's back but whiffed hard as Cell parried him like a matador, throwing him near the straw shingles of the tournament hall.
"He's thrown Tien right at the tournament hall! The champ persists! He refuses to lose by ringout!"
Tien met Cell back in the air and the pair exchanged blows until Tien broke through with a bomb of a left roundhouse, sending The Free Man at the top box. Cell broke the sound barrier with an epic sonic boom that sent Piccolo's white cape into flutters as the pair went right back at it again.
BOOMBOOMBOOMBOOMBOOM!
The shockwaves rocked and tilted the venue as the sky was starting to have the last bits of colour drained from it until Cell landed the bomb he needed, drawing blood and spit at the same time as he sent Tien right at the grass with a right overhand.
"Te-YAHH!"
WHOKKK!
"Is that it!? No! Tien's stopped himself with some sort of glass structure! He's not on the grass! It's still legal!"
Cell yelled a ferocious warcry as he caused a clap of winds to bellow out and divebombed the champion.
DOOMM!
Tien stayed right where he was, laying his back on the yellow glass in a volleyball receiving position. He focused up and The Four Witches intercepted Cell as soon as he came into range, only this time the witches were six instead.
Wsst!
"Huh!?" Cell's eyes widened immeasurably as two arms grabbed his arms, and two arms grabbed his legs, leaving Tien's non conjured arms to deliver an unanswerable machinegun barrage of crane jabs right to the stomach.
Ratatatatatatatatatatatatatatata~BA-BAMM!
He let go of the hold, punching him with three uppercuts, and then slamming him down with three downward chops. Cell would have hit the grass but in a stunning display of awareness he shot out a pocket of Kiai and bounced off the tile instead with reddened marks on his armour-like skin. Cell was out of it a bit as blood bled from his mouth and Tien knew this, trying to capitalise with The Crane Strike, his right knee blasted up chalk from the tile as it rebounded and missed his target by a hair.
FooshFshWushWsst!
"Another Tenkaichi classic! The fighters in this tournament have been moving so fast I couldn't see them for over two decades!"
Cell batted his wings in a fever pitch, buzzing around the arena like a dragonfly, the sound was deafening as The Three Eyed Man tried to watch out for the right angle.
"kiao-khen~" Tien whispered as lowly as he could, his third eye blazing to life in a lime green flare. Tien's third eye moved separately from his other two and he scanned the arena with calculated precision, following his opponent's movements exactly.
ZzuuZyuuZzzt~
WHOKK!
He had caught Cell slipping utterly, folding over the green bug man with a behind the back thrust kick/donkey kick hybrid, completely halting his momentum. Cell was hit hard enough to let out some loose saliva from his mouth but Tien didn't stop his pressure, forcing his hand with a thunderous backfist. Cell's mouth twisted in a contortion as Tien turned with the attack, shifting his position to mirror the bug-man's. Tien went for broke throwing a left roundhouse at the midsection only to whiff epically as Cell caught the ground in a pushup position. He copied Goku's rhythm word for word, chopping ferociously at Tien's neck and drawing a red mark to the surface before pivoting on the air into a backflip kick at The Three Eyed Man's jaw bone.
THOKK! Wsht!
Cell backed off into the aether, firing round after round of his thin purple energy blasts as Tien dipped, dove, ducked, and parried with slaps of his palms.
"Cell's retreated into the air! Is he not confident!?"
Cell scoffed at the commentary.
"Kaio-Khen!" Tien shouted from the messy tile, lowering his stance as Goku whistled with righteous disposition from the top.
"Yeah! Huh-Hah!"
The sound of furious teakettles could be heard as Tien closed the distance.
ZYUU! KRAKK!
Cell was blasted towards the grass in an epic display but he was not out of it yet, saving himself with a clutch Instant Transmission to the tile as he slipped onto his knees still maintaining the momentum he held from the strike. Tien almost rung himself out trying to pursue but changed targets adeptly as he saw The Free Man land on the tile. Cell opened his eyes as Tien rushed with a frontal assault.
"Haaaaaaa~" Cell steeled himself with a roar as he put up an X-block, charging himself with Ki Sourcing to the brim, his arms having a slight purple tinge to them.
Ratatatatatatatatatatatatata~Skweeeeeeee!
"Cell can't hang on forever! What is he gonna do!?"
Something spoke into Tien' soul, he had a read. A read is about acting on intuition after you have gathered enough information about your opponent to make a calculated counter-play that would directly shut down what kind of offence or defence the opponent has brung to the table.
Tien localised all of his Kaio-Ken to his third eye, forgoing using his whole body. Just then, Cell grabbed his wrist with the devotion of a God fearing pious man and assumed the position.
"Huh~Hah~Hah~" It was almost as if Tien heard it in slow motion, time seemed to warp as The Free Man teleported them through the empty hall of rainbows.
Va-Vzh!
"What!? Tien Knew that Cell would use that technique!"
Tien wasn't touching the grass, using the Tri-Beam variant he had studied with Krillin to place a box under himself and prevent a ringout.
"That's not an outside item! Tien's still legal in this match!"
Tien reared back his arm and:
THOKK! Fyuuuuuuuu~
Forced the bug-man into the clouds with an elbow strike.
"Think you've got it all figured out!?" Tien challenged, pointing right at him. "That you're perfect!? Copy this one! Kaio-Khen!"
Tien didn't even go anywhere, mostly just making a statement as the lime green aura permeated his frame. He just stood there as the whistles blared and his veins drew to the surface of his physique.
"Hah-Huh-Hah! If you insist! KAIYO-KEN!"
Thweeee~ ZOOMM! Buh-BOOM!
"Shit~" Tien hesitated a little bit seeing just how fast Cell was, clearly faster than what he himself was putting on the table earlier with the same technique. Once again, he shifted the skill all into his third eye, priming himself to see through all of the strikes and use his own movements to guard.
FuushFshWshtSuuScuSwuSwufFuuFuuFwuScuScuSwufFwufFuuFuush~
Tien could just barely keep up as they stepped off the tile and Cell walked him towards the back wall on the air.
"Cell is pressuring Tien with his own technique! He is something else! I've only seen this level of fighting comprehension from Goku back in The 21st Budokai when he stole Nam and Jackie Chun's moves!"
Cell fought hard but the form started to peeter out and:
"Huhn~" Cell let out dumbly as he squealed to a halt, his arms bulging and eyes bloodshot. His body pulsated and refused to move anymore, stiff as a board, and sore as all hell. "What…"
Ratatatatatatatatatatatata-Ta-TAMM! BuBlokkle~
Tien fired off the gatling and slammed him down into the tile with a diagonal double axehandle.
Shades of The 22nd.
The tile ruptured and flew into the air with chalky dust following right after it. Cell got to his feet shakily, raising a guard as best as he could.
"Things aren't looking good for the newcomer!"
They clashed in the middle of the ring, trading strikes here and there as Tien prepped for his next couple of moves.
"He might have run out of gas!"
"Te~YAHH!" Cell screamed with a throaty roar, landing deep into his diaphragm with a gut-check of legends.
Tien let out blood and spit simultaneously as he took a knee in front of The Free Man.
The Kaio-Ken had been getting a little bit to him too, he had used it three separate times this match.
Tp.
Cell hyped it up and looked to take Tien's head off with his characteristic high left. Tien parried the kick at just the right time, but Cell went with the momentum, stepping around to the outside and performing a tornado roundhouse. The kick smashed into Tien's face and sent him packing.
"Tien!" Launch screamed from the audience as The Three Eyed Man was about to make contact with the stadium on the other side.
Nam and others were blasted back by harsh winds as The Three Eyed Man caught himself just in time.
DOOMM!
Tien and Cell exchanged blows back in the middle of the arena, whipping up torrents the likes of which the tournament goers hadn't seen before, it wasn't even fun to watch, people were getting torn out of their seats.
"You still don't think I can do it all!?"
"No." Tien fought back with a sly grin. "You're not made for this."
"SOLAR FLAARE!"
ZNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN~
"Kuhh~" Cell let out as he clutched at his eyes.
The white nothingness cleared pretty quickly and his foe was right in front of him.
"Te-YAHH!" He screamed, taking his head off, and pretty much everything else. "Huh?"
An After-Image.
Before Cell even comprehended what was happening, Tien was already under him, in a low slide.
"Volleyball fist!"
THOKK!
Cell was tripped up and out of it, about to fall on his ass before his foe shoved him into the clouds with an overhead press.
BAMM!
"Kaio-Khen!" Tien shouted to the skies as he squatted low then rocketed off the tile, blowing the remains of it everywhere, it was now just a rocky jagged structure, there wasn't one thing you could call a tile in that entire ring.
FYUUUU~
WHAMM!
The chop was so epic it parted the clouds and sent Cell directly to the grass, warp speed. Dirt funneled up into the air as if a bomb just went off. Cell could only look up at the man high in the sky. He didn't look like an Earthling, he looked like a God hovering above.
"Two-time champ turns into three-time champ! Can anyone beat this man!?"
Tien loomed in the sky for a long time, the sun finally settling into nighttime as the tournament lights kicked on and illuminated the stadium. The dirt and dust fluttered away on the wind as Cell just laughed and laughed. He laughed for quite a while.
"You got me." He stated with wide eyes.
Gohan was the first to speak up, clearing the wall again and standing above the bug-man. Chi-Chi was hollering once more but it felt like there were only two people in the arena as the lights staged them on the uprooted grass.
"Why did you do it? Did yo-"
Fwuff~
Before Gohan could even finish what he was saying Cell had taken him hostage, gripping the child's body in a monstrous bear hug.
Krnnn~
The unhealthy sound of bone was clear to hear for all those near, especially Icarus.
"KAWH!"
ZNN~Sklatt!
Icarus fell over onto the bleachers as Cell's eyes lit ablaze and blasted the dragon to kingdom come.
"NOBODY MOVE!"
Goku didn't take the advice, putting his blue boot on the railing before Piccolo caught his vest. The audience was lit with screams and roars as they finally let the fear hit them, this was the same man who threatened to bomb it, all the fighting seeming to handicap the threat somewhat.
"One second, Son Goku. Just one second."
Goku stared back with a righteousness that only strengthened his rival's resolve.
"Just, One, Second."
"Are you scared?" Gohan asked Cell as blood trickled down from his mouth.
"What..?" Cell asked genuinely, caught off guard by the teenager's callout.
The onlookers in the audience cringed, ooed and awed, and stood enthralled as the bug-man strangled the child with his tight hold.
"What did you say!?"
"Are you scared that you might not be perfect?"
"I am perfect you brat! I was Made for this! Are you telling me that I'm wrong!?"
GNN~Krnckle~
"GOHAN!" Chi-Chi fell over herself as Oolong, Puar, and Bulma held her back as best they could. "please~" Tears in her eyes.
Gohan's white kung fu gi stained red with his blood as more of it tilted out of his mouth.
"My mom always told me to challenge someone if I think they're wrong."
Cell's eyes held the anger of all the world in just two irises.
"You're not perfect… you just Lost. That's on your record forever."
"You know what!? Fuck it! Sayonara!"
"No! Gohan!" Goku couldn't keep to himself as he leaped the distance.
Snapp!
Nothing.
"..?"
Fwoff~
Piccolo's white cape seemed to just spawn into existence as he nestled Gohan into his chest like a newborn. His white cloak flailed in the wind, covering Goku's angle as he ran right through it.
FOOSH!
Goku's left hand caused a shockwave that clapped out into the crowd as Cell barely reacted in time, still bleeding.
"Why didn't it..?" Cell asked to himself as he backed off into the sky, beating his black bug wings with fervor.
He backed himself into a corner as Raditz covered his escape route. The Saiyan just smiled like a bastard and laughed.
"HAH-HAH-HAH!"
Krillin flew off the railing and pursued the man with devotion. Goku followed and The Demon handed off Gohan to his mother.
"Thank you, Piccolo."
"..."
Va-Vsh!
Tien looked on from above and thought to himself.
"You know… maybe I can use that..?" He tilted his head to the side as the bug-man had a terrible time getting out of the way of the many fighters pursuing him.
Cell started to use the Instant Transmission but:
"He can't cloak his Ki the moment he teleports, Son Goku!" Piccolo shouted through the line.
All three of them assumed the pose and the two green creatures and Saiyan vanished out of thin air.
"Thought so." Tien remarked. "That probably wouldn't have worked."
"I don't know where they've gone ladies and gentlemen but they seemed to have vanished! I… have… no words~"
Dwerrrrrr~
"Everyone remain calm!" Krillin shouted into the microphone. "I'm with The West City Police Department! We'll have this whole mess squared away shortly!"
"Raditz! Where the hell were you at!?" Mic shouted as The Saiyan descended while slinging his blazer over the shoulder.
"Relax."
"Don't tell me to relax! I'm tryin' to run a business, man!" He whined, the shades falling below his eyes as he craned out his neck.
"I dealt with the bombs."
"... What!?"
"Yeup. You can go check the wiring down in the sewer. Cell was pretty smart, if he put it under the grass they might have accidentally misfired if they went too hard in the ring."
"But he snapped~"
"He did?"
"So you actually dealt with them?"
Clapp!
"Disarmed them all." He replied with a smile, smacking Mic's shoulder harder than he meant to. "Ooh~"
"Agh~"
"Sorry."
"Where the hell did you learn how to do that?"
"Working for only one day every three years leaves me with a lot of free time on my hands. I picked up a lot of odd jobs and small-time gigs this year."
"..."
"Plus, unlike everyone else in the association, I actually got to learn under trial and error. Everyone else practiced with fake bombs while I practiced with the real ones. It wasn't all that bad... except for the nosebleeds and the eye strain."
"..."
"..."
"Wow. Huh~" He scoffed, rubbing his messy blonde pompadour in disbelief. "Well done. Sorry for doubting you."
The three teleported all across the world.
Va-Vzh!
Papaya Island.
Gshwah~
Monster Island.
Va-Vsh!
The Tsurumai-Tsuburi Mountains.
Vshwa~
The just beginning nightlife of Orange Star City.
Vshah~
"Son Goku!~ Dwert~
"Yeah!?~Dwunn~
Their voices were warped, distorted, and hard to hear, even through Telepathy.
"He can only go to places he's been!~Dwaht~
And the same was true for the both of them… somewhat. You can only use Instant Transmission to teleport to places you've been without a Ki signature to follow. If you have a signature to latch onto, you can technically go to new places, since Cell was the one running though and under pressure, he couldn't do that.
"...~Swuwuwufff~
"Go here and cut him off!~Dwantt~
Piccolo planted a mansion inside of Goku's mind, having lifted the place straight from Cell's memory.
SchaShweet~
Only Piccolo was left to hunt him down after setting the trap.
"Where's the other one?~Yownn~ Cell thought to himself as he looked back.
Piccolo was close enough now that he was practically running through the elaborate lightshow hallway after him.
Va-Vsht!
The Kyodai Pyramids.
Va-Zhh!
West City Limits. The farmland full of stomped corn had now been rejuvenated, they landed in the brush and stalled for just a moment before hauling ass again.
Va-Vsh!
Vinnie's House.
Va-Vash!
The Draconic Mansion.
Goku hyped himself up with a few hops as he felt it coming.
Va-Vsh!
"..!"
"HYAHH!"
WHAMM! Slashh~
Goku shoved the top of his head right into Cell's sternum, knocking the pair into the water as Piccolo skidded to a stop just outside the pool.
Slosh-Slassh!
They scuffled around for a bit until Goku tied him up with a full nelson.
Wsst! Splashh!
He fixed his hold quickly after realising Cell was going to Instant Transmission again, forcing The Not-So-Free-Anymore Man into the water with his left knee on the back and iron gripping onto his wrists. Giran's mansion was still as lively as ever, pool lights lit the area with a low fi vibe as Cell struggled to remove himself from the hold.
"Tcheh. We're lucky he didn't double back. I used the last of my Ki on that push."
"Can't plan out all your moves. Huh-Hah! Seriously~ good thinking, Piccolo."
"Hmph." The Demon smirked like a bastard. "Every once in a while I have an okay idea."
Sloshh~
"You're not going anywhere, Buddy." Goku spoke plainly, furrowing his brow at the bug-man.
"You made the wrong move, Mongrel. I'm a little disappointed we let you get this far. There are a few ways this could have gone much worse."
"I'll say." Cell replied with vitriol. "You just got lucky."
"Luck's got nothing to do with it." Goku shot back. "Your martial arts weren't as good as my Buddy Tien's, and that's that."
Cell stared up at The Green Man, his eyes staring a hole through them until he actually tried to.
ZYU!
"How did you..?"
Piccolo's ears twitched a single time.
"I could hear the startup of energy, I don't even need to sense it for your ass, Mongrel."
"..."
Slplash!
"Still struggling?" Piccolo questioned genuinely, raising a brow at the sight. "Son Goku."
"..?"
"We can't let him live."
"Why?"
"What do you mean, why? You're too naive. You think everyone needs a second chance."
"..."
"He held your son hostage indirectly with a bomb and then directly just moments ago. Why does letting everyone live matter so much to you?"
"..."
Goku recalls some of the very first thoughts of his grandfather, Son Gohan.
Grandpa Gohan, the now Gohan Sr.
Two figures mimed katas silhouetted in front of a waterfall as it banged down loudly. The pair followed through with their routine in total silence other than the punctuations nature naturally provided. They stood on rocky mountain faces with little balance, the older man seemed fine to keep on going but the little boy training with him had trouble keeping up. The man laughed under his breath.
"Hey! That's not funny, Granpa!" The little boy chirped.
"Goku?"
"Yes, Granpa?"
"Life's more fun if you look for the opportunities to have a good time."
"Really?"
"Oh yes. There's a good time everywhere you look, long as you look hard enough. Loosen those shoulders."
"Kay'." Goku replied with a smile on his face as he weaved effortlessly throughout the rest of the movements, no interruptions by the uneven terrain this time.
The old man went from smooth tai chi to brutal air snapping strikes on a whim, billowing up his gi as he did it.
Fwu~Snapp!
"Whoa~ Where did you get all that power?"
The man smiled, fixing his hat with a small little cotton ball on top.
"It's about the flow. A wise man once said 'be like water'."
Goku almost stopped performing the rest of his kata, just miming the techniques lazily as he absorbed everything his grandfather had to say on the matter, eyes glistening with youth.
"Water is malleable. You are the one that gets to determine its shape. Martial arts is not about who punches harder or who is stronger, martial arts is about learning and exploring the world around you, applying what you've learned and defending what you believe in. Besides~" He laughed a bit. "Fighting is hard to predict, these fights are like the weather. No guarantees." The old man let out a few more laughs from the chest as he continued his form. "Huh-Hah! Hmm-Hmm-Hmm."
KSHHHHHHHHHHHH~
"Granpa?"
"Yes?" The elder tilted his head to the side and furrowed his billowy white mustache.
"You said that I should be nice to everyone, right?"
"Absolutely."
"But what if they're not nice to me?"
Kshhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh~
"Then you find a way to coexist."
"But why? If they're a bad guy then why should I be nice to them?"
"Being nice and being bad are two wholly different concepts, Goku."
"..?" His little browned tail perked up at the thought.
"Sometimes all it takes is one bad day for someone to not be nice. And all you have to do is to give them the space to show you who they really are."
"So..?"
The pair mimed their katas as the waterfall grew quieter and quieter, a lull in the stream.
kshh~
"People can change, just like water. You have to observe for yourself where they fit in."
"Oh."
"One of my best friends was not so nice the first time I met him~" He said as he smiled. "I'll tell you that."
"Who was it?"
"That's a story for another time."
Unfortunately Goku never got to hear it. He is brought back to reality.
Goku
"You got lucky with me, Son Goku, lucky with Raditz too. He's not like us."
"How do you know?"
Cell stopped struggling for a little bit, raising a brow.
Slll~
"I wasn't smart enough at the time to realise it, but Yamcha wasn't the nicest guy either. He tried to steal our stuff and beat me up. It didn't take long for him to help us out though. Grandpa always said that some people need more time than others."
"..."
"Tien broke Yamcha's leg the first time they met. And he tried to atone by using The Evil Containment Wave on your father."
"..."
Fwuuuuu~
Piccolo's cape wavered in the light winds. He looked down to the low fi tile with solemnity.
"Raditz saved my son, he didn't need to, but he did. He gained nothing by letting him die or letting him live, he just did it."
"..."
"You don't let the others see it but you're not a demon, you're just a big softie."
Cell shifted his eyes around to the relevant information.
"Your father's influence on you is nonexistent now, you're with us for the long haul, aren't you?"
"..."
"Aren't you?"
"Tcheh."
"Maybe Cell did some bad things, but you did some bad things too, ya know. Worse than all the others."
"You'd just let Cell get away with it?"
"... Why not?"
Piccolo just unclenched his jaw and shook his head.
"Unbelievable."
"It's not about letting them get away with it, Piccolo, it's about letting them know that they did something wrong, that's all."
"Why? Threatening to kill your family members isn't enough for you?"
"... Well he didn't do it, did he?"
"..." Piccolo sharpened his brow and locked eyes with the man.
Cell's eyes just about popped out of their sockets.
"Everyone deserves a second chance. All I have to do is give him the space to show me who he really is."
"I'm sorry."
"Don't take him up on that, Goku. Mongrels like him will say anything to naive people like you."
"He's right, you know."
Piccolo raised a brow at Cell's comment.
"..?" Goku just stared back plainly, meeting the bug-man's eye line thanks to the low pool lighting.
"Some people can't change. They don't have it in them. You're taking a big gamble letting me go."
"..."
"You're nice. Like those characters in the movies." Cell lamented as he looked up at the stars. "The ones people wish they were but can never be. Your patience is unreal."
"..."
"I'm sorry. That was wrong of me. I just got so fed up with the fact that I wasn't perfect. Hadn't lost a fight yet so… I let things get a little out of hand."
"Don't do it, Son Goku~"
"..."
"You stupi- …"
Cell stood to full height, cracking his neck on both sides and leaning against the big statue.
"So where do we go from here, jive turkeys?"
Krillin
KllllllllllAMM!
"Whoa~ just thinking about it is kinda crazy." Lapis stated as he saw the cell door slam in Cell's face. "Cell in a cell, huh? Phewww~" He whistled. "How are we gonna keep him under wraps though? He can break out anytime he wants."
"That's the tricky part. Tao was easy. We got lucky that he can't fire any beams from his mouth. The only real way we can make sure Cell stays where he's supposed to is by having me watch over him. I'm the only one in the precinct who can do that."
"But we've got cases to solve."
"I know, that's why it sucks. But this right here?"
"Mmhmm?"
"This is the reason I wanted to become a police officer, I know first hand how tough some people are out there. And I know just how unequipped the police force is to deal with it. I'm just one man."
"Are we doing it?"
"Think we're gonna have to. I'm gonna have to throw in my hat for a while, though." Krillin chuckled as he took off his cap and dusted it on his tie. "Dang."
"What is it?"
"I always wanted to be a detective."
"Oh."
"Using my intellect to put together the missing pieces and solve crime sounded really cool, but I guess it's just not a very effective use of my skillset."
Lapis nodded a single time, putting his hands on his hips as he saw the security guards scurry about the bustling prison system.
"I'm gonna have to switch gears~"
Lapis smiled proudly, slapping Krillin on the back.
"I'm gonna teach everyone in the department martial arts."
Yamcha
"Thanks for helping Icarus, Yamcha."
"Nah, I should have been down there cheering the boys on. This is the best I could do since Goku didn't have the Ki."
"You got her here just in time but uhh~ next time you might wanna bring a smaller critter in here."
"Haugh-Hah!" Yamcha laughed out as the four of them felt the nighttime breeze. Korin's Tower had been ransacked by Icarus' big frame, smashing right through the top dome. "What's the cost lookin' like?"
"No more Sensu Beans for you guys, that's for sure."
Gohan and Yamcha laughed it up as Icarus tried to give Korin a celebratory thank-you lick.
"I'm good, thanks." He replied, sidestepping it with ease.
"Korin?" Yamcha posited.
"What?"
"Why do Sensu Beans take so long to grow?"
"Well they heal almost any wound ever, numbskull, long as it's not detached. They only grow under very strict conditions. I used to have a huge stockpile goin' but Yajirobe ate em' all. It was kind of impressive honestly, those things are worth 10 days of food and he just chomped em' all down like popcorn."
"Huh." Yamcha responded with a dead blink.
"I've got a few more layin' around if you need em'."
"No thanks, if I held onto them I'd definitely forget where they were. I think they're best in your hands since Piccolo and Goku can do that teleport thing now."
"Suit yourself."
"Where is Yajirobe?"
"I don't know."
"..?" Gohan and Yamcha spared a glance at each other before turning their gaze back to the stoic white cat.
"It's been years since I seen him last."
"..."
"Ever since we defended The Lookout I ain't seen him since."
Mic
Mic and Tien stood opposite each other in the ring as Blue and The Director watched the chat from the sidelines. The Announcer handed The Three Eyed Man a capsule.
"At this rate, you're gonna be a zillionaire. I don't know how you keep managing to win this thing."
"I have dedicated my life to martial arts. I wasn't gonna let someone waltz in here and ruin the spirit of competition with their threats. Goku would have done it first if we saw his best performance today."
"Far be it from me to judge whether or not anyone put their all into it. Whatever the case may be. Good show."
Tien smiled as he took the capsule in his hands, threw on his blue tunic, and sweeped Launch off her feet. There were no words, Tien just saluted The Announcer and The Director as he entered the skyline and vanished.
"You know~"
"Whoof!"
"That's exactly what I was thinking. It was a great tournament, but uhh~ why do we keep attracting the crazy ones? I just don't get it. That's uhh~ 3..? Now?"
"Bork!"
"Right." Mic agreed as he nodded his head and fixed the shades. "There was Baragon. Though that was before my time."
"Whoof!"
"Hey, I know I'm getting up there. But I'm not a fighter, I can do this stuff till I'm kicking the bucket, Director. You don't need to worry about me. The only thing I'm worried about is my hairline. Sheesh!" Mic relayed as he rubbed the top of his clearly balding head, his hairline pushed almost halfway past his dome, covered up with hairspray and a pompadour styling.
"Whoof!"
"That's their choice to make, Director. I'm not gonna force my kids into the business if they don't want to."
The dog-man and Mic moseyed on into the tournament hall, then to the rest and injury room.
"Uhh, Director?"
"Whorf!"
"You seein' what I'm seein'?"
The Director nodded his snout up and down, his dog ears flopping with it.
"That Cell Junior guy was here last time we checked."
"..."
Mic just shrugged it off.
"Oh well. Let someone else figure it out."
Sharp crescent moon light shone down on a silhouette figure. The very same building Sapa drained the energies of Giran on years ago. Cell Junior just basked in the moonlight as he stared at the stars, cackling to himself.
"Kekekekeke~Hyahahahaha!"
Gohan
Everything had settled down and the Son family were all ready to take their earned night's rest, except for one thing.
"Now Gohan, I don't like raising my voice but~"
"What the heck were you thinking!? You could have been killed!"
"Mom, you told me that I don't have to stand by while someone does something wrong. Dad says the same thing." Gohan answered as he deflected, pointing to Goku drinking some water at the fridge. Goku just had duck lips at the whole ordeal, not expecting to be cast in so soon.
"I already told you, that was more in an academic sense! If you want to become a scholar you have to be ready to prove people wrong with new data or be ready to be proved wrong!"
"I get that but Cell was my friend for a moment, I just thought I could talk some sense into him."
"Ehh~" Chi-Chi moaned as she put her index fingers on either sides of her temples.
"Look, Gohan." Goku attempted to chip in as he put a hand on his son's shoulder. "Cell is really strong, you should be more careful about how you interact with the people me an-"
"..."
"My friends and I do. Trying to talk to Cell after he lost was going to be dangerous no matter who did it, I'm proud of you for sticking up for everyone in the arena, but you could have gotten yourself killed, son."
"Thank you~"
"Don't patronise him like that, Chi-Chi." Goku fired back at the outburst. "I know you want the best for him like I do, but sometimes all you do is criticise, he's gotta learn from these things on his own every once in a while. We're not gonna be there for him forever." Goku responded as he placed himself firmly between the two of them. "Kay'?"
"Yes dad."
"You're right, Goku."
Goku smiled and stretched out wide, almost shaking the house with his yawn.
"UAGHHHHH~ Whew! Welp! It's time to get to bed, Gohan. Good night!"
The lights turned off in the Son household and all Gohan could do was stare at the ceiling as Goten goofed and gaffed during the night time.
"You good, little bro?"
Goten didn't care, he was just doing flips and tumbles on the blanket. Gohan laughed out a bit.
"Just make sure not to knock over anything on my desk."
KWONKK!
Gohan couldn't help but snicker.
"Waaaaa!" Goten cried out almost immediately after.
"Awh~ there there, bro. I got you."
Yamcha
Yamcha looked out to the stars and neon tube tunnels, leaning over the railing and sparing a glance to the dimly lit grass far below on the Capsule Corp. lawn. He let out a solemn breath before he heard the sliding glass door open.
"Hey~"
Chu~
"What are you doing out so late?"
"What are You doing out so late?"
"Uhh~ my man's not cuddling me so it's a bit harder to sleep."
"Ahh, I see."
"Hey."
"..."
"Look at me, Yamcha."
The couple stared at each other for a long time, everything faded out and it was just two people gazing at each other's scarred faces. Bulma grabbed his hand tight.
"What's going on with you?"
"..."
"We're in this thing for the long haul so it's your responsibility to tell me."
The wind blew his black mane back as he shifted his jaw.
"I uhh~ I just feel like I do all this fighting and it doesn't really matter."
"..."
"I've gotten so much stronger yet I still lose like it's my job to take the fall. And it's not very fun. I'm not like Goku." He said as he took his hand away and leaned over the rail. "I can't just lose and laugh it off or lose and have a good time. Wish I could…"
Bulma nodded and looked over at the very few cars passing through the night.
"I never expect you to be like Goku. You're Yamcha. You're mine."
"I know. I just feel like Bulma's guy should be winning."
"..."
"I feel like I make Capsule Corp. look bad."
"..."
"I wore that jacket you made me to The 24th so proud. So ready to go. And I blew it. Looked like a damn fool too. I literally beat Raditz' ass in the spar before the tournament. But just so happens when people were watching I couldn't get it done."
"..."
"Fighting is weird like that. There's some strange intimacy there, like… you show people your weak spots, and you try your best to overcome your opponents."
"..."
"I don't know if I sound stupid or what."
"You're not stupid." Bulma reassured as she placed her head on his back.
"Maybe my weak spots are easy to see. I don't know."
"I don't know anything about fighting, but maybe your style isn't as effective as it used to be."
"My style?"
"I've been to enough of the tournaments to know how each of you guys fight."
"... Go on."
"Well Goku's balanced, when I watch him I just see Goku. He's so good that he makes it look easy, like I could do it."
"..."
"When I watch Piccolo, I can see the gears turning in his eyes. I'm smart but he and I are a different breed, he's somehow able to make a strategy on the fly while he's fighting. That's a way different genius to what I do. I don't have to think so fast. There's no enemy to consider."
Yamcha furrowed his brow.
"But you, all you do is play offence. It looks really amazing, it looks cooler than everyone else's but…"
It hit him, the wind and her words. Flashes of everything cut across.
"You seem to not take damage very well. You don't take very many hits before you drop. And you don't block. You mostly just dodge and weave. If there were some way where you tried and blocked more, or maybe got better at dodging, or fought less aggressively. Maybe that'd help."
He stood up tall, almost knocking her over before quickly catching her in a low to the ground dancing pose.
"Thank you, Bulma."
The moon shined brightly that night as Bulma caressed his face with her small hand.
"I don't care if you win, Yamcha."
"..."
"I've never cared if you won or not. I just want you to be happy."
"..."
"And if winning makes you happy."
"..."
"Then I really want my man to win."
Chu~